Office



' (NoModel.)

M. D. WILLIAMS.

TORPEDO PLAGBR.

Patented Nov. 7, 1882...

nya/f INVBNTOR:

' ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

MARTIN D. WILLIAMS, OF LONG ISLAND OITY, NEW YORK.

ToRPEDo-PLACER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,297, dated November 7, 1882.

Application led April 14, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN D. WILLIAMS, of Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new 5.and useful Improvement in Torpedo-Placers,

' move the same when the necessityforits use has passed, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure l is a plan view showing the torpedo-placer in connection with the rails of a track, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line a' of Fig. l.

A A are the rails of the track, and B is the torpedo-carrier pivoted on a block or iron casting, c, at the side of the track. rlhe carrier B is a plate or bar of metal formed at its end that is turned to the rail with an aperture to receive the strap ofthe torpedo b, so that the torpedo is held projected from the end of the carrier and at a height for passing upon the head of the rail. The outer end of the carrier is provided with a pivoted link, c, to which is connected a rod, d, that will pass to an operating-lever placed on a stand for operating the lever and giving a quarter-turn to the carrier in the same manner as switches are operated. rIhe lever or stand may be placed at a station, at a switch connected to the switch-lever, or at any other place, and the carrier B at the red quired distance therefrom.

The torpedo shown is of usual character, and I utilize the'straps generally used to attach the torpedoes to the rails for holding them to the carrier; but any suitable torpedo may be used and the carrier constructed to hold it. I have shown the carrier made with a second arm, e, for receiving a second torpedo, so that two may be placed on the track at once as additional security. With these arrangements the torpedoes can be placed instantly, without the necessity of sending the required distance back, and they can be removed with the same facility. The device is especially useful on roads running frequent trains, to prevent collisions in fogs; also for use with draw-bridges, and in connection with switches, as an additional guard to the signal-lights, which often become indistinguishable by formation of ice and snow on the glasses.

In practical operation the train that explodes the torpedoes will stop and the train-nantis replace the torpedoes, so that there will be no necessity of sending from the station for that purpose. Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, with a railroad-track, of the carrier B, pivoted on block a, apertured at one end to carry the torpedo, and at the other end connected by apivoted link with a rod, d, whereby a torpedo may be placed on the track or removed therefrom, as described.

. MARTIN D. WILLIAMSr Witnesses:

R. P. SMITH, G. W. PIERCE. 

